Shaping tool

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a rotating shaping tool ( 1 ) designed to treat a surface of body extremities of mammals, in particular the nails or the skin of humans, which tool comprises an elongated shaft ( 2 ), one end ( 3 ) of which shaft can be clamped and the other end of which shaft has an operative section ( 4 ) with a rotationally symmetrical operative zone ( 5 ) which shapes the surface while abrasively removing parts of the surface and which projects beyond a shaft diameter, with the operative zone ( 5 ) on the end opposite to the shaft end ( 3 ) that is to be clamped being bounded by a rounded part ( 6 ) having a domelike structure ( 7 ) without the surface-shaping function that is inherent in the operative zone ( 5 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of German Patent Application 202008015821.4 filed on Dec. 1, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shaping tool for use in the treatment of a surface of body extremities of mammals, in particular the nails or the skin of humans. To this end, a rotating shaping tool is used, which tool has an elongated shaft, one end of which shaft can be clamped and the other end of which shaft holds an operative section with a rotationally symmetrical operative zone, which operative section shapes the surface while abrasively removing parts of the surface and which projects beyond a diameter of the shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the shaping of skin, natural nails and artificial nails, for example, in a foot care clinic or a nail care salon, generally shaping tools are used that are adapted to the morphology of the body extremity, i.e., the foot, and of the nails as well as of the occasionally occurring deformities. This type of single-piece rotating shaping tool, in particular one that can be cooled, is known, for example, from DE 229 008 683 U1. The shaping tool described in this document is especially suitable for use in foot care. The rotating shaping tool has an abrasive material bonded to it, and the remainder is made of metal. The outer surface is shaped like a cap, and the abrasive material bonded to it is diamond grit.

When working on the foot or the hand, in particular the nails and the skin, the use of the shaping tool, in particular when known cutting or abrasive tools are used carelessly, entails the risk of injury to the extremity due to the surface-effective, in particular abrasive, i.e., material removing and/or abrading zone of the shaping tool. Thus, it is possible for areas on the surface of the extremity to become involved where this is not desirable, for example, on the nail bed. This carries risks especially for diabetics and for other categories of individuals who are suffering from certain disorders.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make available a shaping tool which greatly minimizes the risk involved when shaping extremities and surfaces thereof, in particular in foot care clinics and nail care salons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved with a shaping tool with the features of Claim 1. Other useful embodiments and improvements follow from the dependent claims.

To treat a surface of body extremities of mammals, in particular the nails or the skin of humans, it is proposed that a rotating shaping tool especially designed for this purpose be used, which tool has an elongated shaft, one end of which shaft can be clamped and the other end of which shaft comprises an operative section with a rotationally symmetrical operative zone which shapes the surface while abrasively removing parts of the surface, which operative zone projects beyond a shaft diameter, with the operative zone, on the end opposite to the shaft end that is to be clamped, being bounded by a rounded part having a domelike structure without the surface-shaping function that is inherent in the operative zone.

It has been shown to be useful if, on the one hand, the domelike region has a rounded-off part. This makes it possible to avoid the risk of injury which is inherent in the prior-art shaping tools especially due to the edged design. Since, in addition, it was found to be especially useful to dispense with a surface-shaping function that is inherent in the operative zone, i.e., to omit this region of the domelike structure completely, the shaping tool can be placed on the surface of the extremities without, however, itself abrasively shaping the surface. As already mentioned above, “abrasive” in the context of the proposed technical teaching of the present invention is meant to indicate that, because of the surface shaping function inherent in the operative zone, material can be removed from the surface. This can be done, for example, by means of an abrasive method, a cutting method or by means of some other method. Preferably, the domelike structure is smooth, and if a metal is used, it is polished. Thus, for example, when the shaping tool is used, it is possible to first place it on the surface and subsequently cautiously approach the area on which a surface of the body extremity is to be actually shaped. Only by tilting the shaping tool and/or by moving the shaping tool down to a deeper level is it possible for the operative zone to come into contact with the surface and for abrasive removal of material from the surface to take place.

According to one embodiment, the domelike structure, at least on the surface, can be made of a material different from that of the operative section. For example, the domelike structure can be coated with a coating. However, the domelike structure can also be a separate element that contributes to the shape of the operative section. To this end, for example, the domelike structure can be attached, for example, by means of a joining method, an adhesive method or a similar method. According to another embodiment, the domelike structure is a fusion-bonded component of the operative section. In this case, the domelike structure is preferably produced from a preliminary product if the operative section is made from the preliminary product. For example, if the shaping tool is produced by means of a machining method, for example, a turning procedure, a turning tool used in this procedure can produce the domelike structure in such a manner that at the same time the surface in this area is smooth and thus, in particular, an additional polishing step can be dispensed with. If the shaping tool is produced, for example, by means of a high-quality casting method, the cast product can have such a surface quality that, again, a separate step of finishing the domelike structure can preferably be dispensed with.

Furthermore, the domelike structure can be coated with a coating. In yet another embodiment, the operative zone can also be coated with a coating. In another embodiment, the operative zone and the domelike structure are coated with a coating. These coatings, for example, differ from each other in that they are made of different materials and/or have different properties. According to one embodiment, only the operative section is coated with a coating. According to one embodiment, the operative zone is preferably coated with a coating made of a material or a combination of materials different from the coating or the material of the domelike structure. The coating of the domelike structure, the operative zone and/or the operative section, for example, can have a certain property, for example, it may be electrically non-conducting, it may be electrically conducting, elastic, have a higher surface smoothness than another material of the operative section, or the like. Furthermore, the coating can have a higher hardness than a substrate material or the core material, in particular, of the operative section. The coating is preferably temperature-resistant and able to withstand temperatures of at least 134° C. and more without damage to it. Furthermore, the separate element which, in the form of a domelike structure, contributes to the shape of the operative section can also have this same material property. For example, if a coating in the form a cover layer is used, the cover layer itself can provide a surface smoothness which otherwise could be achieved only by polishing the operative section, for example, in the area of the domelike structure. Another possibility is for the coating to be present already on a preliminary product. According to one embodiment, for example, a preliminary product for use in the production of the operative section of the shaping tool already has a coating on the domelike structure, which coating prevents that, in the step of bonding a material-removing substance or another abrasive material to the operative zone, the abrasive material is not applied to the domelike structure. If, for example, the abrasive material is applied to the future operative zone of the operative section by means of a special coating method, a protective coating can be used to prevent that the abrasive material adheres to the region of the domelike structure. Thus, the surface in tis region does not have the surface shaping function of the operative zone. According to another embodiment, a protective coating that prevents a bonding of an abrasive material to it can be designed so as to be removable. This can be achieved, for example, with the use of chemical procedures. For example, a galvanic coating method can be used to apply the abrasive material. By means of the protective coating, however, electrical conduction can be prevented so that no abrasive material can bond to the area of the protective coating. A number of different materials for use in the production of the shaping tool as well as different abrasive materials and different deposition techniques and properties relative to the sterilization and disinfection follow, for example, from DE 20 2007 017 619 U1, incorporated by reference into the present disclosure. This patent mentioned also discusses the use of matrix materials for the operative zone, to which reference will also be made in the present disclosure.

In a preferred embodiment, the operative section, the domelike structure and/or the operative zone are coated with a coating having a specific thickness, preferably a ceramic coating. Preferably, at least the operative zone and/or the operative section are coated with a thin layer, in particular, a coating with a thickness lower than 20 micrometers, preferably lower than 1 micrometer, more preferably in a range from approximately 1 micrometer to approximately 40 micrometers, and most preferably from approximately 1 micrometer to approximately 20 micrometers. According to another embodiment, the operative section is coated with a coating having a thickness greater than 20 micrometers, preferably from approximately 20 micrometers to approximately 40 micrometers. It is also possible, for example, for sections to have coatings of varying thicknesses. Preferably, the area that is coated with the coating has been mechanically and/or chemically pretreated, preferably sanded, prior to application of the coating. For example, the coating can be produced by means of so-called physical vapor deposition, abbreviated as PVD, chemical vapor deposition, abbreviated as CVD, galvanic methods or sol/gel processes and deposited on the operative section or a precursor product thereof. One embodiment provides that the coating be deposited by means of a thermal spraying technique, preferably plasma spraying.

According to another embodiment, the coating contains carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxides or a combination of the above. In particular, the coating contains at least one material from the group of carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbonitrides, oxides and/or borides, at least one of the elements of the IVa to VIa group of the periodic system of elements and/or a ceramic material, in particular titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium nitride (CrN), chromium vanadium nitride (CrVN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, chromium oxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide and/or diamond. In another embodiment, the coating, for example, at least in a region of the operative section, the domelike structure and/or the operative zone is a multi-layer coating. At least one individual layer preferably contains a material from a group of carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbonitrides, oxides and/or borides, at least one of the elements of the IVa to VIa group of the periodic system of elements and/or a ceramic material in particular titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium carbonitride (TiNC), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), chromium nitride (CrN), chromium vanadium nitride (CrVN), chromium aluminum nitride (CrAlN), titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, chromium oxide, diamond and/or a combination of the aforementioned materials. According to an improved embodiment, a first region, for example, is coated with one coating layer and a second region is coated with two or more coating layers. The first and second region can be located in the operative section, the operative zone and/or along the domelike structure.

In a preferred embodiment, a thin layer, i.e., a coating with a thickness lower than 20 micrometers, preferably lower than 10 micrometers, most preferably lower than 1 micrometer, is applied to at least one region of the operative section or a preliminary product thereof. For example, titanium nitride is deposited by way of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT), using a chemical vapor deposition technique. In another embodiment, at least one coating material is applied by means of thermal vapor deposition, electron beam physical vapor deposition, laser chemical vapor deposition, arc ion plating, molecular beam epitaxy, sputter deposition, ion beam-assisted deposition and/or ion plating.

The domelike structure preferably has a rotationally symmetrical design. On the one hand, this type of design simplifies production. On the other hand, it ensures that whenever the domelike structure first approaches a surface of the body extremity, the shaping tool at all times has the same contact surface, especially when the domelike structure is a full dome which has a shape which neither by way of concavities, indentations nor the like deviates from the prespecified domelike structure but still allows the domelike structure to be recognizable as the dominant geometry. In another embodiment, however, such can be present. This can be implemented, for example, in that, starting along the operative zone, the domelike structure begins to take on a hemispherical shape, with the surface, when viewed along the circumference, having concavities, such as are similarly known, for example, from a citrus press. Thus, when the shaping tool approaches the surface, this shape immediately informs the user that contact between the surface to be shaped and the shaping tool has been made. For example, mild unease on the part of the user, which is signaled by the irregular shape of the domelike structure, immediately alerts the user that contact has been made and thus it is ensured that at the same time, a difference is noted when the operative zone comes into contact with the surface to be shaped or when only the domelike structure makes contact with the surface to be shaped. For example, the operative zone can also have elevations or grooves which, on contact with the surface to be shaped, also alert the user, thereby again providing him/her with information that the operative zone is touching the surface.

According to another embodiment, at least parts of the operative section are exchangeable. To this end, for example, the entire operative section can be detached from the shaft. However, it is also possible to provide, for example, that the domelike structure of the operative section can be detached from the remainder of the shaping tool or that the operative zone can be exchanged. To this end, the operative zone can be disposed on the operative section in such a manner that the operative zone is detachable. This, for example, can be implemented without the use of force, for example, by removing an adhesive material, thereby, for example, detaching an abrasive material from the operative section. Other chemical methods, thermal methods or other mechanical methods for separating the operative zone, in particular the abrasive material, from the shaping tool, can be used.

According to another embodiment, a surface of the domelike structures transitions steplessly into a surface of the operative zone. Because of the stepless transition, the risk of injury during use of the shaping tool is prevented since there are no sharp edges, such as the ones present in other prior-art shaping tools. This also allows the shaping surface of the operative zone to steplessly transition into the domelike structure. In this manner, it is again possible to avoid a stepped edge which could carry the risk of injury when the shaping tool is used. Preferably, the operative zone is disposed in a recess in the operative section in the longitudinal direction of the shaping tool. In this manner, the recess can be filled, for example, with an abrasive material, and thus the shaping surface of the operative zone can be made to conform uniformly to a surface of the domelike structure. In addition, the possibility of disposing a recess in the operative section, it is also possible to prevent unintended contact between the operative zone and the surfaces of the extremities to be shaped. To this end, but also independently thereof, one embodiment provides that the domelike structure project beyond the operative zone, thereby also offering a certain protection. Thus, for example, the diameter of the domelike structure can be dimensioned in such a manner that at least in one section, it is larger than a diameter of the operative zone.

In at least one of its sections, the operative zone can have a cutting section. To this end, identical or different cutting geometries can be used to produce such a cutting section. The cutting blades can run parallel to the axis of the shaft or they can be tilted with respect to the axis of the shaft. For example, the cutting edges can extend in a straight line but they can also curve at least across one section of the cutting section.

According to another embodiment, the operative zone has at least one abrasive zone.

It is also possible to design the operative zone in such a manner that it has only one cutting zone or only one abrasive zone. Another possibility is for the operative zone to have a cutting section and an abrasive zone. Yet another possibility is for the abrasive zone to have different grit sizes, so that the abrasive zone preferably has a number of different sections with different grit sizes. Thus, according to one embodiment, the grit size closer to the domelike structure of the operative section is finer than the coarser grit size. According to one embodiment, the operative zone can gradually change from a finer to a coarser grit size, with each section having a grit size with, on the average, an identical diameter. According to another embodiment, the average grit diameter continuously changes across the length of the operative zone along the axis of the shaft. Yet another embodiment has an operative zone which comprises one or more different sections with a different average grit size and one section with a continuously changing grit diameter.

Additional useful embodiments and improvements follow from the figures below. The details obtainable from the figures, however, are not limited to the individual embodiment. Instead, one or more of these features can be combined with other features from the figures and from the description above to arrive at improvements which are here not described in detail but which still are part of the disclosure of the technical teaching.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a shaping tool,

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a shaping tool, and

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a shaping tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a shaping tool 1. Using this shaping tool 1, it is possible to treat a surface of a body extremity. To this end, the shaping tool 1 comprises a shaft 2 which can be continuous or stepped. One shaft end 3 can be clamped. To this end, the shaft end 3 of the shaft 2 can have grooves or other recesses in the shaft which make it possible to transmit a rotational force. Another possibility is that instead of the recesses, the shaft end 3 has elevations. In addition, however, the shaft end 3 can also be exclusively cylindrical as shown in the figure, in which case a torque transmission takes place by clamping the shaft end 3 into an appropriately designed holder. At the end opposite to the shaft end 3, an operative section 4 is disposed. The operative section 4 comprises an operative zone 5. This operative zone can be formed, for example, by cutting blades and/or an abrasive material. In addition, on the end opposite to the shaft end 3, the operative section 4 has a rounded area 6 in the shape of a domelike structure 7. The domelike structure 7 is preferably smooth, as shown, and a surface 8 of the domelike structure transitions steplessly into a surface 9 of the operative zone 5. This type of transitional zone 10 ensures that the shaping tool, when using it to work down to a deeper level and subsequently withdrawing it, cannot accidentally tilt and thereby get stuck. According to this first embodiment, the overall contour of the operative section 4 is not only rotationally symmetrical but extends with a steadily increasing diameter from one end to the other. According to this embodiment, the operative section 4 has a substantially conical shape.

In the following description, identical elements will be identified by the same reference numerals, without thereby restricting the scope of the protection, however.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the shaping tool 1. Again, an operative zone 5 is disposed on the operative section 4. The domelike structure 7 again transitions smoothly into the operative zone 5. According to another embodiment which is indicated only by the broken line, a different type of transition from the domelike structure 7 into the operative zone 5 can be provided. According to the second embodiment of the shaping tool 1, the operative zone 5 has a cylindrical shape. Again, for example, a cutting blade or an abrasive material can be disposed so as to extend beyond the actual operative zone 5 into a tapered region 1. The tapered region 11 is preferably chamfered, rounded off or at least deburred so that the risk of injury on potential contact between the tapered region 11 and the surface to be shaped is avoided. In addition, in the second practical example of the shaping tool 1, a dash-dotted line indicates a potential recess 12 in the operative section 5. This recess can be filled, for example, with an abrasive material or another material having a surface shaping function.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the shaping tool 1. The third shaping tool 1, for example, is integrally formed in one piece from a steel material. To this end, the entire shaping tool 1 is preferably turned, with the possibility, for example, that the domelike structure 7 of this type of preliminary product is coated with a coating 13. This coating 13 can prevent, for example, that an abrasive material is also applied to this area. The coating can also serve additional purposes, for example, it can be used to label the tool. If the coatings 13 have different colors, each color can designate a particular grit size of the abrasive material used. In this manner, it can be ensured that the user, when choosing between different shaping tools which are lined up in appropriate holders, need not look for information concerning the grit size which may be printed, for example, on the shaft.

The proposed shaping tool is specifically intended for use in foot care and nail care salons. 

1. A rotating shaping tool designed to treat a surface of body extremities of mammals, in particular the nails or the skin of humans, which tool comprises an elongated shaft, one end of which can be clamped and the other end of which shaft has an operative section with a rotationally symmetrical operative zone which shapes the surface while abrasively removing parts of the surface and which projects beyond a shaft diameter, characterized in that the operative zone on the end opposite to the shaft end that is to be clamped is bounded by a rounded part having a domelike structure without the surface-shaping function that is inherent in the operative zone.
 2. The shaping tool as in claim 1, wherein the domelike structure is smooth, preferably polished.
 3. The shaping tool as in claim 1, wherein the domelike structure is a fusion-bonded component of the operative section, with the operative section being made at least substantially completely of a hard metal.
 4. The shaping tool as in claim 1, wherein the domelike structure is rotationally symmetrical.
 5. The shaping tool as in claim 1, wherein a surface of the domelike structure transitions steplessly into a surface of the operative zone.
 6. The shaping tool as in claim 1, wherein the operative zone comprises at least one cutting section.
 7. The shaping tool as in claim 1 wherein the operative section is made of steel and that the operative zone (5) is formed by a coating containing an abrasive material. 